Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds

Chapter 55: Something Left

As if he knew what he was thinking, Ace told him, "It was something I learned after the Terminal fire. I couldn't run that day against Bluejam because I knew that you were right behind me. I was afraid that if I didn't stay and deal with Bluejam then and there—then you were going to die. I should've known what was going on that night. But it wasn't until you almost bled to death by that stupid bear did I realize that I didn't want you to die, alright?"

Ace gave a rather wild smile as he turned and paced around the darkness anxiously, Luffy continuing to watch him in amazement.

"When I saw you fall out of the sky like that, it scared the shit outta me," he went on with a shaky laugh. "But at the same time I was so relieved that you had escaped from that place. But then you had to go and ruin that by continuing to do crazy stuff! You were almost killed hundreds of times that day! Of course I was angry with you! You did a lot of stupid things before, Luffy... but what you did there... that had to be the stupidest thing yet!"

"I couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't at least try!" Luffy retorted.

"And I couldn't have lived with myself if you got killed because of me!" Ace snapped back angrily, frustrated that Luffy still didn't seem to understand. "Look. What happened to me... happened. You can't change it. And I don't want you to keep blaming yourself for what I did!"

"I wasn't strong enough!" Luffy said, looking away from him.

"You were strong enough," Ace said firmly. "It was my fault. Can't you understand that? I don't blame you and I never have! So stop blaming yourself. Stop taking the credit for something that lavaman jackass did!"

Luffy looked back at him miserably as Ace sighed and looked back at him with a shake of his head.

"I don't know what else I can say to you to make you believe it," he said with a shrug. "And maybe... maybe you'll never understand it. Maybe you'll always blame yourself for what happened to me. But..." He looked him straight in the eye and said the words that summed up everything he was feeling. "I'm just so happy... that you survived."

*Straw Hats*

Each one of the Straw Hats were exhausted and weary to the bone. A lot of them bore burns and gashes across their bodies as they panted, struggling just to remain upright. They had been up all night, watching several months of memories at the least, combined with all the injuries they took from the shadows of old enemies and the emotional roller-coaster they had all been on... they were about to drop where they stood.

But they bit back their pain as they forced themselves to stand against the slime-Akainu. Right now, their anger and their need to make him pay for what he did to Luffy and Ace was the only thing that was keeping them going. Onwards they kept charging at him, dodging the best that they could in their weakened states, and all felt a great deal of satisfaction when their attacks hit so much easier than ever before.

Zoro and Sanji were both going to town as they unleashed their most powerful attacks, right now they were unable to feel any pain or the weariness in their bodies. For all that was driving them was a longing for some form of revenge for what he had done, and if nothing else... this was just a warm-up for the real Akainu.

Back and forth it went, with none of the Straw Hats daring to back down—feeling that they wouldn't be able to look Luffy in the face if they didn't at least try to fight. Meanwhile, watching from the darkness behind them, the lone figured waited patiently, knowing that it would soon be a matter of time before he would be able to do his part.

To push this creature hard enough that it would force itself to become more... 'real' before stepping in. Still, it was hard to tell himself that as he just watched, itching to jump in and help. Yet given the way that some of them were fighting, that might've been the wiser option to wait since they might end up coming after him if he dared to stop them before they had a chance to finish venting their rage. It would be safer for him if they wore themselves out in the meantime.